Devotion by JCM Team Member Tracey:
“You keep in perfect peace one whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” - Isaiah 26:3
God created the world out of a vastness of nothing, a disorderly world that was made ordered by the word of God, becoming a peaceful world.
When God created Adam and Eve, He had a plan. His plan called for a ‘relationship' with His people. Peace and harmony existed between Adam, Eve and God until they disobeyed God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This disobedience was the first sin which caused conflict and chaos and a lack of peace in their hearts.
God, however, had a plan to restore us back to Him - a plan though where “mankind” would have to wait for One who would redeem us from sin... the Messiah, Jesus, the Anointed One. It is through Jesus’ perfect obedience to God, His willingness to submit himself to God as the sacrificial lamb offering that would take all of our sin upon Himself so that we could be redeemed and restored to relationship with God.
“But because of His great mercy for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved.” Eph. 2:4, NIV.
Therefore, when Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you” (John 14:27 NIV), it is a very real thing! It is the tangible act of peace and mercy given to us by God. The work of the sacrifice has been done. Do we accept it? Or, do we reject it by holding onto our sin and in doing so, reject the offering of the peace of Christ? Attaining unshakeable peace only comes from our obedience to God, by accepting His Son and opening our hearts to Him with a deepening of faith and trust in His work on the cross. As we approach Christmas Day, let us be mindful of the joy that is available to us through the sacrifice of Christ.
Between Christmas and New Year, consider meditating on the following verses: Isaiah 26:11, Colossians 3:15, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Matthew 11:28-30, Philippians 3:7,8 and reflecting on the following questions:
In your daily life, how do you bring peace to your day?
When your peace starts to feel disrupted, what do you do?
How do you trust God with certainty when situations seem uncertain?
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:3, NIV
Shalom,
Tracey
A song for you: "Peace"
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